Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced she will step down from her position effective July 17, 2026. Texas law requires Governor Greg Abbott to appoint a new secretary of state. The governor's office stated that a new appointee will be announced at a later date.
Nelson was appointed as Texas chief election official in 2023. Tandi Smith, the Kaufman County elections administrator, expressed uncertainty about whether local officials will receive guidance for upcoming election changes.
Elections in Texas are administered by local officials across 254 counties. Smith said, "We want to be able to provide secure facilities for our voters and to make sure that there are no delays when there are storms of that nature, but funds are limited."
The secretary of state's office previously overhauled the statewide election management system, known as TEAM, last summer. County election officials encountered technical issues with the TEAM system before the March primary election. The Texas Association of County Election Officials publicly requested the secretary of state's office resolve TEAM system problems twice in the six months prior to June 2026.
State election officials attributed expected issues with the new TEAM system to mid-cycle redistricting and problems with an outside vendor. The TEAM system manages data for more than 18 million voter registration records, and the majority of Texas counties use it to manage elections and maintain voter registration lists.
The office issues election law opinions on implementing voting rules. The office cannot change election law or exercise law enforcement authority. Joshua Ferrer, an assistant professor of government at American University, stated that the secretary of state transition should not affect local officials' ability to conduct elections.
No independent assessment of Jane Nelson’s claims was available.